An interplast and reconstructive surgical team from Australia and New Zealand will visit Honiara and Gizo from 17 to 31 August 2017.
The team will be at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara from 18 to 27 and then at Gizo Hospital from 28 – 30 to facilitate plastic and reconstructive surgical services and training.
The team will be led by Dr Zachary Moaveni and will include two plastic surgeons, one anaesthetist, four nurses and a hand therapist.
The hand therapist will conduct an assessment on the local needs with a view to provide mentoring in the future and also assist the surgical team clinically with some of the patients seen and in their rehabilitation.
A statement from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services said, “Patients with conditions including cleft lip and palate, scarring from burns, hand injuries and tumours are urged to contact the surgical unit at the National Referral Hospital and Gizo Hospital for an appointment.
“Please note patients with common skin diseases or cosmetic conditions will be excluded from this consultation,” it added.
Interplast medical teams, funded by the Australian Government and Rotary Clubs in Australia and New Zealand have been visiting Solomon Islands since 1984 to provide free surgical intervention programs to relieve people of disability.
To date 2,004 consultations and 1,246 life-changing procedures have been conducted.